A SYSTON tradesman has told of how his blood ran cold when he watched CCTV footage of a thief brandishing a large knife on his driveway.

The 36-year-old, who does not want to be named, told the Leicester Mercury he looked on in horror at the criminal armed with the weapon as he kept look-out for his accomplice during an early morning raid.

The father-of-two said: “I could not believe my eyes. The footage of this man brandishing a very large knife on my drive, while my wife and children slept in the house yard away is chilling.

“My blood ran cold. If I had gone out there to try to stop them stealing tools from my van I might have ended up stabbed to death.

“That thief looked like he had that knife for a reason and looked like he was prepared to use it if anyone tried to stop them.”

Pictured is the 'look out' armed with a knife.

The tradesman said the thieves struck at 1am on Wednesday (July 19) and took two nail guns and a drill worth £1,500 from his van.

He said: “I always park my van right against the house wall but this night I had wood on the roof rack so had to leave a gap.

“It had been a long hard day and, like a fool, I left my tools on the van. I hardly ever do that as I have had them stolen before.

“I heard my dog bark just before I went to bed so had a look outside but could see nothing.”

He said he went to leave for work the next morning and saw his van doors open.

The thieves had also taken his back light fittings worth £500.

“I knew I had been done again. I looked at the CCTV and got so angry.

“The footage is scary and eerie because it is in black and white due to the night camera.

“These people are obviously prepared to use a weapon and need to be caught as soon as possible.

“These thefts have all happened after the street lights were switched off in the night. Me and my neighbours want them switched back on.”

The tradesman said he had the CCTV cameras installed after the first of three thefts from his van, back in August last year.

Thieves struck again in May and took parts off his van.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for highways at Leicestershire County Council, said: